Fields vs Tags - in deed! I suffer from exactly the prolems descried here.
Things did improve slightly with TW5s superior field handling over TWCs
but, still, there is a need to both have the smoothness and visibility of
tags but the "typing" of fields.
Here is a conceptual mockup that I'd like your input on (please, open
image).
The idea is to have
- a "public/viewable" part where currently the tags field is
- ...and a "admin/editview" part at tiddler footer, which actually is
how the current fields part already functions.
Now, in the "public/viewable" part, I propose to display *both* tags and
fields, possibly grouped (more on this below). *In practice, a field will
be treated like a tag with a type (type:tag = name:value). *
The rough workflow illustrated in the mockup goes:
1) (omitted from mockup) Just like today, in edit mode and in the tags
area, you start typing into a small edit box.
1b) (left side of mockup) Immediately this opens the (familiar) tags
suggestion list but the edit box you're filling in moved down a line and
above it now a tag pill is building up. If you're happy with a quick tag,
then you click the tick and it's created. Done. Very similar to how it
works today.
2) ...but if you want to type it or fine tune a bit, you'll notice the
dropdown list has two buttons for *type* and *settings*. See right image in
mockup.
The "type" side has another small edit box where you fill in the type. You
also get a suggestion list, equivalent to the tags suggestion list.
The resulting tag pill adjusts as you type.
3) The right hand *settings* menu should be pretty obvious, but the top
item, "Type" + eye, refers to if the type should be visible in the tag pill
or not, i.e if the tag pill should read "author:Patrick Modiano" or just
"Patrick Modiano".
4) Programmatically: Not until you actually click the tick ("Done") for the
pill is this actually created. Only then is it decided if this tag pill
really is a tag or if it is a field (i.e on the form name:value).
Regardless, there is a resulting pill - possibly with these typed variants
grouped first or last in the "tag area".
Tiddler in view mode looks the same of course.
<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JsiCUOASAcM/VJzHvEFW38I/AAAAAAAAPCs/caKR5yhyVto/s1600/tagfields_both.png>
I'm leaving out my thoughts on the tiddler footer fields as they're pretty
much intact functionality wise. And I have some thoughts on algorithms for
the suggestion lists. More later, if of interest.
Other than the actual practical value this would have, I also think it
simplifies things conceptually for new users. You use simple tags until you
get sophisticated enough to need typed tags at which time it's a small step
to take. In their mind, it's probably still just "doing something to the
tag" kind of like the color setting - as opposed to bringing in a new term
and concept (fields) which seems to be something advanced and something
used by "the system".
<:-)
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